Clutch device



Jun 6l, 1.939. c. R. DoTY ET A1. 2,161,563

CLUTCH DEVICE Filed April 22; 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 3'217 y t)- i Y 37 1e '9 35 J A 'lg /nre/Nbnp BY 277%. 77M

ATTORNEY June 6, 1939. c 'R DOTY ET AL 2,161,5634

CLUTCH DEVI CE Filed April 22, 1936 l 2 sheets-'sheet 2 ATTORNEY vl upon thecontrolling impulse.

Patented` June 6. i939 UNITED STATES charles n. mty. Binghamton. and nur: n. Schneider, Endicott, N. Y., and Albert C. Holt.

v Princeton,

N. J.. assixn'ors to International Business Machines Corporation, New York N.`Y., a corporation'ot New York Application april zz, im. sei-n1 iva-vacas s calm. (ci. isz-4o 'misiinveuon relates to clutch mec and more particularly to electromagnetically intermittent and continuous operation in ac- .,5- cordance with the control signal or impulse.

kIt is an object of the present invention to provide a device comprising a rotating driving membervand a driven memberwhlch may. be operf ated step by step or continuously, depending Electromagnetic controlling means are provided to cooperate with the clutch members and in part consistsv of two controlling coils with associated armature members controlling the clutching and de-clutching lfunctions of the device:

One oi' the controlling units is adapted to control the step-by-step operation of the clutch device and in addition thereto is characterized by the provison of means whereby the clutching action is delayed until the decay of the con rolling impulse. -The other controlling unit is adapted to control the continuous operation of the said device and the clutchingv action is effected upon receipt of the controlling impulse.

Various other objects and 'advantages ofthe invention will be obvious from the following particular description of fone forml of mechanism embodying the invention or from an inl spection o f the accompanying drawings; and the invention also constitutes certain new and useful features of construction and'combination of parts hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 isa side view of the clutch mechanism. Fig. 2 is an elevation view of the clutch mechanism.

Figs. 3 and 4 are detailed views, in part, oi-

the clutching and-'de-clutching members. f

Fig. 5 is a section view along the line 5- 5 of 40 F18'. 1..

Figs.`610 are detailed views of the clutchzde A vic in various operating positions. Referring now to Figs. 1 and 2 oi' the drawings, suitable meanssuch as a pulley `I is shown to be adapted to continuously operate 'the driving shaft 2. One form of a controlled or driven section II which may principleaof the invention by a continuously driving membersuch as the shaft 2.

controlled clutches of the type adapted for both 'f 'Ihe sleeve member 8 is secured to. or may be an integral part of a disk 8 which .is xed to a drum Il. The said disk is providedrwlth a plu- 5 rality of cam rollers Il, the number of cam rollers provided depending upon the 'number of step-by-step operations desired bythe clutch device during a single revolution thereoiL The drum I0 rotatably mountedlon shaft 2 is provided l0 with an arcuate* opening I2 therein. A'plurality Aci notches I3 are disposed upon the outer section of said drum, the nuniber of said notches necessary tobe providedI depending upon the number of step-by-stepoperations desired dur- 15- ing one revolution oi the clutch device, and willl be understood as the description progresses.

4A plate I4 is rotatably mounted on a shoulder an integral part of "tlie i drum I0'(Fig. 5)' said late being provided with "20 a plurality of stop.pawl members I6, the purpose of which will be described later herein. The

lplate I4 is also provided with an elongated opening- I'I to permit a pin I8 which is secured to the drum III to extend through the said opening 25 of the plate I4. At the free extremity of pin I8, a coupling pawl I9 is pivotaly mounted there- Y on, the other end ofv which has attached thereto a pin 20 which protrudes through an', opening' in the plate I4 and extends into the opening' I2 30 in the drum it. The 'movement of thel plate u is obviously limited by the elongated opening I1 therein. This opening is elongated to such an extent as to permit the coupling pawl I9 to engage and disengage with .the teeth of a ratchet 35 wheel 2l.

The free end of the pin 2li is coupled to aspring 22 which is attached to the body of drum Il. Through the agency oi the spring 22, the plate I4 is urged in the direction shownLbut -the movement of plate Il is prevented by the 40 limitedgelongation o! the opening I1 in the plate and the pin I8 -mounted in drum. I8.

` 'I'he ratchet wheel 2I. is secured to the continuously rotated shaft 2 and adapted -to cooperate with the coupling pawl I8. i 4,5

` Controlling units in the form o! electromagnets are provided and comprise two magnet coils .25 and 28. The armature 2'I associated with coil 28 is pivoted at 28 and provide with an extension arm y28. Upon the saidextension arm, the 50 armature 88 associated with coil 25, is pivotally mounted as shown at 8|.

'I'he amature 88 is provided with an extension arm 82 which is adapted to be a stop arm i'or the clutch device. The said stop arm 'at its 55 free extremity is provided with two projecting j fingers or stops 33 and 34. Stop 34 is positioned that the stop 33 is adapted to engage one of the -below the stop 33 but not in the same plane as stop 33.

When the said magnet coils are deenergized and the associated armatures are not attracted thereby, the positions ofI the various parts of the clutch deviceare shown in Fig. 1. It is seen stop pawls I6 and plate I4.

' It is to be noted in the position of the parts shown in the rsaid figure, that due'to the engagement of the stop pawl I 6 and stop 33, the plate I4 is urged against the action` of spring 22 to be rotated about the drum I so far as the elongated opening I1 of the plate permits. In this position, the coupling pawl I9 is Lheld out of engagement with the ratchet wheel 2 I.

It should be mentioned at this time that a spring-pressed pawl 35'mounted on plate 36 is adapted to engage one of said notches I3 in the drum IU to lock the clutch device in an inoperative position as shown. An arm 31 is alsopivotally mounted on plate 36 and is adapted to engage the cam rollers I I 'and constantly urged into engagement therewith by spring 38.

prevent anyrotation of the The operation of the clutch device will now be explained, referring to. Figs. 1 and 10, assuming that the coil 26 is energized by a control impulse causing the associated armature 21 to be attracted.

The movement of the said armature is such as to permit the stops 33 and 34 to. clear the stop` pawls I6 on plate I4. Due to the release of the plate I4, the said plate is urged to rotate in the direction indicated by the arrpws due to the spring 22. The rotation of plate I4 is limited by the opening I I as explained hereinbeiore. However, the movement initiated by the said spring and the extent of the movement is such as to be ladap'ted'to permit the pawl I9 to engageone ef the teeth of the rotating ratchet wheel 2I. So long as the coil 26 is energized by the controlling impulse the associated armature 27 is maintained in the position shown in Fig. andthereby permitting theA couplingpawl I9 to engage the ratchet wheel 2I during the entire interval or period of time the 'said impulse is impressed upon the coil 26. Y

It is obvious from the previous description, upon engagement of pawl I9 with ratchet 2I, the

plate I4, drum I0 and disk 9 and /sleeve 8 are.

rotated in unison with the said ratchet wheel and driving shaft. The commutator 'I attached to sleeve 8 is therefore rotated to present the conducting segments thereof in succession to the stationary cooperating brushes.

Upon deenergization of the coil 26, the armature 21. is immediately restored to the normal position', as shown in Fig. l, by virtue of spring 40, to position the stop 33 in the path of the stop pawls I6 to effect declutching ofthe device. Immediately'upon engagement of the stop pawl I6 and stop 33, the drum I0, due to the direct con-` nection to pawl- I9 by pin I8, is continued to be driven by the ratchet wheel 2 I to vpin 2U which extends through an opening in plate I4. 'I'his opening is such that lthelpin 2li is not afforded much movement; therefore, when It is remembered that one extremity of pawl I9 is attached the rotation of plate I4 is blocked, the pin 20, in effect, becomes a 'iiXed axis or pivot for pawl I9. Therefore, as the other extremity of the said pawl (attached to drum IU) is urged forward due to the rotation of drum I0, the pawl I9 is lifted out of engagement with the ratchet teeth. -When complete disengagement or declutching has been effected, thev arm 3'I'urged by spring 38 imparts anadditional movement to drum I 0 by its engagement with the cam rollers II on disk 9, to position the. drum I0 so that the one of the notches I3 is engaged by the cooperating pawl 35 to lock the clutch in the inoperative or declutched postion. Figs. 1, 8, 9, and 10 clearly set forth'the various steps just outlined for thedeclutching action. In Fig. 8, the position of the clutch parts is shown just as the stop pawl I6 engages the stop 33. In Fig. 9, the effect of further rotation of the drum I0 when the plate I4 is blocked is shown and it is seen that the pawl I9 is just beginning Istop 33 is withdrawn from stop pawl I E to the extent that the said pawl is permitted to drop to engage the second stop 34. The'movement imparted to'the armature 30 is not great enough to permit the stop pawl I6 to pass 0r clear the -stop 34 during the interval the armature is attracted by said coil. Referring to Fig. 6, the positions of the clutch parts just described are clearly shown.

Itis understood when the stop pawl I6 is `re leased by stop 33, the plate I4 is advanced to the position so that the stop paw] engages stop 34,

.due to the tension exerted on the pin by spring 22 and thereby urging the plate I4 forward and imparting a slight rotation thereto. Further movement of the plate I4 by the spring is prevented by the stop 34, and it is noted that the movement imparted to plate I4 is not sufiicient to permit the pawl I9 to engage the ratchet wheel 2|. The clutching action is completed upon the decay of the impulse, that is, upon deenergization of coil 25. Deenergization of said coil permits the armature to return to normal position as shown in Figs. v1 and 7 by virtue of springs 45, an'd this permits the stop pawl IB to be released by stop 34 to eifect the clutching action. The

cluching action upon deenergization of coil 25 .is effected by the release of stop pawl I6 and its release from the stop I34 is due to the return of armature extension arm 32 to its normal positionand the configurations of the stops 33 and 34 and the stops I6 on the plate I4. Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, it is seen that the said stops are disposed ,in a staggered relationship in different planes.

on the extension arm 32 and that the stop 33 and stops I6 are so shapedthat when the stop I6 engages stop 34 and the arm 32 is moved to the right as viewed in Figs. 1 and, the stop 33 is not effective to blockvthe said movement to the right. Therefore, when the arm 32 is returned to its normal positionbysprings 45 the stop 34 is removed from `the path of the stop I6 so that further action of the spring 22 is effective-to position the plate I4. The plate I4 is urged by spring 22 and a partial rotation is imparted thereto, the amount 75 of rotational plate M being limited by the opening l1 therein. However, as stated hereinbefore, this movement permitted is suilicient ior the clutching pawl I S to engage the ratchet wheel 2|. e

It. is noted that the plate Il is provided ywith four stop pawls I6, therefore, it is obviousl that the clutch is effective to operate the associated control device such as the commutator device. l for only one quarter of a complete revolution. deciutching is effected similarly as described hereinbefore in conjunction with` Figs. 1, 8, and 9.

It is to be understood that it is intendednot to be limited to the speciiic example cited, but that the scope of the invention is broad. enough to.

cover any predetermined number of clutching and declutching operations during a complete revolution.

While there has been shown and described and pointed o ut the fundamental n ovel features of the .invention -as applied to a single modiiication, it e will be understood -that various omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the device illustrated and in its operation may be made by thoseskilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. y It is the intention therefore to belimid only asin- `dicated by` the scopeof the following claims.

What is claimed is as follows:

-1. A device of the character described comprising a driving member, a driven member, a clutch Aunit including a clutch operating element adapted to operate said members .in unison upon operation of said element, a plurality of electromagnetic control elements, means to render the clutch unit effective to operate the said members continuously upon energization of one oisaid y control elements, and means to render the clutch unit effective to operate the said members a predetermined extent upon the deenergization of another of said contrbi elements.

2. A device of the character described comprising a driving member, a driven member, a'unit adapted to actuate said members in unison upon operation thereof, a pluralityof electromagnetic control elements, and means to render said unit eil'ective to actuate said members in unison continuouslyupon energization of one oi said control aisance v At the end of the one quarter revolution ment of the clutch unit.

y is imparted thereto.

elements and to render said unit,ei!ective to actuate saidmembers. in unison a predetermined extent upon the deenergization of another of said control elel'nents..

3. A device of the character described comprising a driving member, a driven member, a clutchA unit including a clutch operating element adapted to actuate said members in unison upon operation of the element, an electromagnetic control 'ele-- ment, means to condition the clutch unit and element upon enersization of the said control element and means t'o render the conditioned clutch unit and element operative upon deener'- gization of said control element to actuate said members in unison. l

4. A device of the character described comprising a driving member including a ratchet wheel,

.a driven member, a clutch unit including'a clutch 'operating pawl adapted to engage said ratchet to rotate said members in unison, an electromagnetic control unit, means associated with the control vunit and operated upon energization of the control unit to prevent engagement of said pawl and deenergized, and means to disengage the said pawl and ratchet after a predetermined move- 5. A device of the character described comprising a driving member including a ratchet wheel, a driven member, a clutch unit including a. clutch operating pawl adapted to' engage said ratchet to rotate said members in unison, an electromagnetic control unit, means .associated with the control unit and upon energization of the controlunit to prevent engagement of` said pawl and ratchet until the said control unit is-subsequentiy CHARLES R. DoTY.

KURT R. SCHNEIDER. ALBERT c. HoL'r.

ratchet until the said control unit is subsequently 

